Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1887-12-16
TlrE GREAT MEsr.
sFRAour, wAsMrNcToN TERRrroRY.

| oPRAGUE, WASHINGTON TERRITORY |
November 29lh, 1887.
DEAR JoURNAL:-To-nightf finds me in
Washington Territory. ! have been here
three weeks. Let us pass over why and
wherefore, and after lew words about
The JOURNAL aud old memories I will try
to write few lines that may be of use-
iul Information to any Of your readers who
may contemplate n change OF location
ANY person WHO msy wish To wiito to
me | will cheeriufly endeayor to give them
reliable information.
! am in the Great Deud of the Columbia
river. In what is known ns the Big
Bend" county" II il GO miles north 10
the RIVER ut its nearest point, aud 80
miles southwest, 10 the river. In it's
grand sweep it describes nearly half
circle.
The Zig Bend Country is high rolling
prairie, 9 600 ieet above the sea level,
! 1000 feet above the river. 1t embraces
Spokane, Lincoln, Douglas, Adama,
and Whitman counties, all very large
counties and IN total area equal TO about
one forth The area of Ohio.
"Ilow long have you been IN this coun-
try, neighbour" asked OF tall, big handed
man who brought an Indian pony to the
| livery stable, where we both warmed in
the stable office. "Just came. Have been
here about three weeks" said he III the
voice and accent which surely denoted
western farmer. lie went on to say in
response TO questions that he came from
southeast Nebraska; that his two sons and
two brothers who came to Nebraska from
'the East" had prevailed ON him TO pros-
pect this country with view OF them all
settling here in the spring. "1 started
right out to the big Bend,'" said he.
Bought me dorned good lhrce-yrar-ol old
cayouse OF an Indian-got him for 5000
had pony TO ride. stopped ut Mitch.
ellis station, fourteen miles from the
Columbia river, and rode In every direc-
ton, every day going somewhere-just got
back to-day"
Eyes, l writ the boys to sell the farm.
machinery, tools, ard implements-every-
thing bnt the harness, breakidg plow,
blacksmith outfit, and running gears to
two wagons-to ship those things and get
here by the first OF March. i mean 10 go
pretty near to the river, about so miles
from The railroad. The four OF us can
, take up II whole section. l mean the boys
and my brothers," "Yes, / used my
, rights seventeen years ago in Nebraska
} HomesteNded in Platte county," "Well
l mean to put up small buildings, dig a
well and begin breaking the prairie, to
b commence about the centre of the section,
= gee about. and as fast as break to SOW
on wheat and oats. Am going 10 buy e
|, aows the first thing. Soon as the grain
o comes up, pasture them on the field. The
= team can break 100 or 40 acres during
the season. The hogs can pasture on III,
wheat and oats ill 1t gets ripe, and thel
feed on the grain. don't ,Link they viii
waste much"
:, II will put upa windmill. wont b
more than six or ten miles from plenty O
timber. Will fence the whole section il
barb wire, two wires at first to keep stool
=, out, and when ihe increase of hogs viii
= pay for 1t, will put on wire enough I
AZ fence the hogs in, and as they pay for
"a will put up barns and good buildings.
"a expect enough grain will fall from the firt
. crop TO seed it the second year. After III
=. second year will put on another team |
plowing the land the second time"
=, "One fellow on the Columbia river
:, putting ont thousands OF fruit trees. II
- has 800 acres OF bottom land. Is putin
II it all out TO fruits and grape-vines an
one truck or another. 1t is warm an
# sheltered there. Apples will grow any
~ where in Lincoln county. 1 think it
better show in this country than IN Ne
braska when took up my claim. dom
think there ever will be complete faiuI
= from drouth as we used 10 have. All I'll
:, stock saw was sleek and fat. The Who'll
~ pasturage is bunch grass. Ii looks prett
W green yet"
n "oh, water may lie hard TO get in well
4 They say they can't always find II. I
j., have my sons file their claims till we fin
,r plenty oi water"
>, Thought by this ii had tired til
II old man and probably have tired yo,
both editor and reader.
&c R. c. CANFIELD.
'e